UK social worker boasted about children's case on Facebook, ID'd family

A social worker in Essex has been found guilty of misconduct after she boasted about getting a family's children taken into care on Facebook, and provided enough detail to identify the family. The mother concerned saw the comments and complained.

The social worker explained that she thought her FB was set to private, but a committee said she had 70 friends anyway, who should not have been privy to such information. The Health and Care Professional Council found her guilty of misconduct and the local authority decided not to renew her contract. She hasn't been struck off though, she just has to work under supervision in her new position.

'A social worker gloated about having three children taken into care on her publicly accessible Facebook page.
Siobhan Condon, 41, bragged about the power she felt at breaking up the family and revelled in the judge giving the parents a massive rollicking.
She even referred to the solicitor in the case complimenting her fine nails and shoes before saying she was about to do the mammoth grim task of removing the youngsters from their home and signing off with three kisses.
The children, all aged under ten at the time, were put into foster care following the court hearing last year.'

Attached Files:

Yikes. Some social workers don't sense the repercussions of confidentiality and privacy breaches, it seems. I knew a social worker who used a women's shelter as a landmark when giving friends and family directions. The location of the shelter was supposed to remain confidential, for obvious reasons. :gaah: